Benzodiazepines

What are benzodiazepines?

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Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs called minor tranquillisers, often known as benzos. These drugs are prescribed by a doctor to help people with anxiety or sleep problems. There are about 30 different types (generic names) of benzodiazepines. Each one of these generic drugs may be sold under several different brand names – all the same drug, but made by different companies.

Benzodiazepines

(C9H8N2)

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They come in the form of tablets or capsules and some are available for intravenous use in hospital settings. These are a very dangerous group of drugs when taken in high doses and/or mixed with other drugs and can cause an overdose or death.

Immediate effects can include

cannot judge distances or movement properly

feel relaxed / reduced anxiety

feel drowsy, sleepy or tired

cannot remember things from just a short time ago

Effects depend on...

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What benzodiazepines do to you depends on how many tablets and what dose you take, how often and how long you have been taking them, your height and weight, whether you use benzodiazepines on their own or with other drugs and the method of use.

The effects can also depend on your general health, your mood and your past experience with benzodiazepines.

General information

The effects of benzodiazepines may last from a few hours to a few days, depending on the dose and type of benzodiazepines you take. The immediate effects can include that you:

feel relaxed / reduced anxiety

feel drowsy, sleepy or tired

have no energy

become confused or dizzy

feel really good

have mood swings

slur your words or stutter

cannot judge distances or movement properly

have blurred or double vision

cannot remember things from just a short time ago

do risky things

may impair your capacity as a parent/primary carer of children.

If you take a very high dose of benzodiazepines and / or take it with other drugs you can go into a coma or die.

Long term effects

Benzodiazepines are highly addictive. If you use benzodiazepines often and for a long time (more than two to three weeks), you may:

have no energy or interest in doing every day activities

be cranky

feel sick in the stomach

have headaches

have dreams that make you feel bad

experience fatigue or drowsiness

lose interest in sex, or your body won’t work properly during sex

get skin rashes

be more hungry and put on weight

have menstrual problems (women)

be depressed

experience unpleasant withdrawal effects.

The way a person uses benzodiazepines can also cause problems:

Injecting benzodiazepines that are intended to be swallowed in tablet/capsule form can cause severe damage to veins, leading to loss of limbs from poor blood circulation, or to organ damage or stroke.

Using benzodiazepines at the same time as other central nervous system depressants – such as alcohol, heroin, methadone, or some prescribed drugs – is very dangerous. It can cause you to become unconscious, stop your breathing, put you into a coma or cause you to die.

Injecting benzodiazepines with unsterile injecting equipment makes you more likely to contract blood borne viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and get blood poisoning (septicaemia) and skin abscesses (sores with pus). NEVER share fits (needles and syringes), spoons, water, filters, alcohol swabs or tourniquets. In NSW, free sterile injecting equipment is available from Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) outlets and from selected pharmacists. Call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) for the nearest NSP outlet.

Tell your doctor about any other drugs you are taking so they can give you the right dose of benzodiazepines. This will help to prevent the risk of different drugs affecting each other in your body.

Benzodiazepine is a depressant and slows down the workings of the brain and the central nervous system. They are used medically to reduce anxiety, to help people sleep and to relax the body. They should only be prescribed by a doctor for short periods of time as it is possible to become dependent on them after as little as two weeks’ regular (eg daily) use.

Some people inject benzodiazepines and/or use them at the same time as they use heroin, alcohol or other drugs. Injecting benzodiazepines, which are intended to be swallowed in tablet/capsule form, can also cause severe damage to veins, leading to loss of limbs from poor blood circulation, organ damage or stroke.

Using benzodiazepines at the same time as any other drug, including alcohol, can be dangerous. Mixing benzodiazepines with other drugs that slow down the body (eg alcohol, sleeping pills, heroin, cannabis), can:

make it harder to think clearly

make it harder to properly control how you move

stop your breathing and cause death

It is unusual to overdose on benzodiazepines alone – but if you use them with other drugs such as alcohol, heroin or methadone it is very easy to overdose and die. Signs of overdose are:

p​erson is unable to be ‘roused’ or woken

coma

very slow breathing

slow heartbeat

cold clammy skin

lips may appear bluish.

If someone overdoses, other people with them should:

phone Triple Zero (000) to get an ambulance and tell the operator that the person has overdosed (the police will not come unless someone dies)

stay with the person

try not to panic

try to keep the person awake – talk to them, use their name

if the person is unconscious, put them on their side, in the recovery position. [use illustration]

clear their airway, check their breathing

do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if they stop breathing.​

If you can’t wake someone up or you are concerned that they may have sustained a head injury from a drug related fall – call an ambulance immediately – dial Triple Zero (000).

If the person has been mixing benzodiazepines with other drugs, tell the NSW Ambulance paramedic exactly what they have taken. Paramedics are there to help. Generally paramedics don’t involve the police unless there is danger to themselves or other people/children, someone dies, or a crime (such as violence or theft) has been committed.

Drink spiking is when a person deliberately adds benzodiazepines or another drug (eg.GHB,) to another person’s drink without their knowledge – this could make the person become intoxicated unexpectedly. Drinks are spiked for amusement, to facilitate sexual assault, rape or theft.

If your drink has been spiked:

ask someone you trust to get you to a safe place

ask your doctor to test for the presence of drugs which can be identified through urine or blood tests within 24 hours.

If you feel unwell or suspect that you have been sexually assaulted then call an ambulance or go to the nearest NSW Health Sexual Assault service or Emergency Department.

Drink spiking is serious and illegal. To prevent drink spiking, it may be best to watch your drink, avoid sharing drinks, buy/pour your own drink and don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know well or trust.

Anyone can develop a tolerance to benzodiazepines or other drugs. Tolerance means that you must take more of the drug to feel the same effects you used to have with smaller amounts or lower doses. This may happen very quickly with benzodiazepines.

Dependence on benzodiazepines means that these drugs take up a lot of your thoughts, emotions and activities. You spend a lot of time thinking about using benzodiazepines, looking for them, using them and getting over the effects of using them. You also find it difficult to stop using or control how much you use. Dependence can lead to a variety of health, money, legal, work and relationship problems.

Not all people who ever use benzodiazepines become dependent. But it is very easy to become dependent on benzodiazepines and it can happen within two to four weeks.

People who are dependent on benzodiazepines find it very hard to stop using them or cut down because of withdrawal symptoms. It is dangerous to suddenly stop using benzodiazepines. Seek medical advice and withdraw gradually if you have been using benzodiazepines in high doses or for a prolonged period.

Symptoms of withdrawal can include:

disturbed sleep

feeling nervous or tense

being confused or depressed

feeling afraid or thinking other people want to hurt you

panicking and feeling anxious

feeling distant or not connected with other people or things

sharpened or changed senses (eg noises seem louder than usual)

shaking

convulsions

pain, stiffness or muscle aches or spasms

flu-like symptoms

heavier menstrual bleeding and breast pain (women)

‘pins and needles’ in the limbs

ringing in the ears, blurred vision.

Benzodiazepines taken during pregnancy cross the cord to the unborn baby. High doses can cause the baby to be born with poor muscle tone, poor feeding ability, drowsiness and low body temperature.

New babies of mothers who use benzodiazepines are more likely to be sick in the first few weeks of life and later.

Tell your doctor or the health professional managing your pregnancy if you are using benzodiazepines. They will be able to help you care for your baby.

It is generally risky to take any drug while breastfeeding without medical advice.

Taking Benzodiazepines while on methadone makes neonatal abstinence (withdrawal) more severe for babies.

Using benzodiazepines without a prescription from a doctor, or keeping, selling or giving them to someone else is illegal. If you are caught you could face substantial fines and penalties including a prison sentence.

Benzodiazepines slow down the workings of your brain and your body, so they may make you drive dangerously. Any dose of benzodiazepines may affect your driving, and if you have any concerns, consult your doctor. You should not drive if you have not taken benzodiazepines before, are on a large dose or have recently increased your dose.

It is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs, including benzodiazepines. Penalties include losing your licence, a fine and/or jail. Anyone under the influence of drugs who kills or injures another person while driving can be sentenced to a term in prison.

Here are some of the different generic and brand names of benzodiazepines.

Diazepam: Valium, Ducene, Antenex, Valpam

Oxazepam: Serepax, Murelax, Alepam

Nitrazepam: Mogadon, Alodorm

Temazepam: Normison, Temaze, Temtabs

Lorazepam: Ativan

Flunitrazepam: Rohypnol, Hypnodorm

Bromazepam: Lexotan

Clonazepam: Rivotril, Paxam

Alprazolam: Xanax

na.org.au for Narcotics Anoymous Australia, a non profit fellowship or society of recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean via a program of complete abstinence from all drugs.

*Toll free numbers are only available if you are calling from within that state.

VISIT:​

Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC) provides services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Contact them on (02) 8113 1301 or for counselling and support services for CALD communities call (02) 8706 0150.

Nepean Youth Drug and Alcohol Service (NYDAS) works within a holistic model of care to address a range of issues for young people (12 -20 years) of age related to their alcohol and other drug use. Call (02) 4734 2129 or (02) 4734 1333.

Poisons Information Hotline is a 24/7 call centre service to NSW and after hours call centre across Australia. Call 13 11 26

www.ahmrc.org.au for Aboriginal community controlled health services across NSW. Go to Members/ Members regional map/ Member services or Member websites.

www.alcohol.gov.auprovides information about related health issues and Australian government policy.

smartrecoveryaustralia.com.auSmart Recovery is a voluntary self-help group that assists people in recovering from alcohol, drug use and other addictive behaviours.

Visitwww.tafensw.edu.au for help with education, career development or personal matters. Students can contact a local TAFE / university counsellor. Follow the links to student services, careers and counselling.

www.yourchoiceonline.com.au is an alcohol education program that aims to challenge perceptions about underage drinking and excessive consumption of alcohol and to educate young people about the health, legal and social consequences of drinking.

www.youthaction.org.au Youth Action is the peak organisation for young people in NSW. Use the search option to access a directory of NSW youth services.

youthsolutions.com.aufor services for young people 12 – 25 years of age and the community including prevention and health promotion, drug and alcohol education, community programs and referral. You can also call (02) 4628 2319. [provides services to young people in Macarthur & Wingecarribee].